Tourists in Cuba Take Photos Near US Embassy, Welcome Relations Restoration

 On Friday, US Secretary of State John Kerry will preside over the flag-raising ceremony. The event will see officials from the Cuban Government, various US Government agencies, Congress members, as well as some US and Cuban private citizens.

Mert Karakaya, who is visiting Havana with his father, told Sputnik on Thursday that the restoration of the relations as well as the reopening of the embassies will bring a lot of positive changes to Cuba.

"My dad was here 8 years ago, and he says that now it’s changed. It’s become more modernized, with more new cars, new buildings, and more opportunities. And I think the reopening of the US embassy and the restoration of relations will modernize things even more and will bring more opportunities," Karakaya said.

"We think that in 10 years Cuba will be a different country than now," he added.

Barbara Daubenberger, a tourist from Germany, believes that the reopening of the embassies is the first step in the long process of the normalization of relations between the United States and Cuba, and that lifting of the embargo is needed for it to be fruitful.

"I think the reopening of the embassies brings hope to the Cuban people. But I think the normalization process will be successful only [if] embargo is lifted, and they can export and import goods," Daubenberger said.

"[US President Barack] Obama has brought the countries closer, and I hope the embargo will be lifted before the end of his term," she added.

The United States and Cuba officially reestablished full diplomatic ties on July 20 by reopening embassies in the countries’ capitals after 54 years of hostility. The US Department of State then rose the official Cuban flag in its headquarters in Washington, DC, and the Cuban embassy held the official reopening ceremony.

The United States closed its embassy in Cuba after a Socialist government came to power, but kept an unofficial US Interests Section presence in the country.

Obama announced in December 2014 that his administration would pursue a path toward normalizing relations with Cuba.

However, the United States continues to hold the congressionally-mandated embargo on Cuba despite having normalized relations. To lift the 50-year-old embargo, the US Congress must pass legislation to that effect.
 (Sputnik)
14/8/15
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